The surname is descended from a Norman noble who entered England in 1066 and was granted lands in England but was invited north by King David of Scotland about the year 1150, who granted him the lands of Dalyell. In Lanarkshire they were officially seated from the year 1259 on the lands of Dalyell meaning 'the beautiful meadow' on the banks of the River Clyde.

A word of explanation on the different spellings and pronunciations of this name is needed as its always been a source of confusion. The following ancient rhyme from Galloway (in South-West Scotland) perhaps indicates some of the early problems with the name: "Deil and Da'yell begins wi' ae letter, Deil's nae gude, and Da'yells nae better."

Dellyell Early Origins

The surname Dellyell was first found in Lanarkshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Lannraig) a former county in the central Strathclyde region of Scotland, now divided into the Council Areas of North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, and the City of Glasgow, where they were officially seated from the year 1259 on the lands of Dalyell meaning "the beautiful meadow" on the banks of the River Clyde. They are descended from a Norman noble who entered England in 1066 and was granted lands in England but was invited north by King David of Scotland about the year 1150, who granted him the lands of Dalyell. "It is said to have given name to the family upon whom the barony of Dalziel was bestowed by Kenneth II., in recompeuse of some exploit performed by them in the service of that monarch. " [1]CITATION[CLOSE]Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print. Dalzell House, a historic house in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire was built by the Dalzell family in the 15th or early 16th century on lands they had held since the 13th century. Sir Robert Dalzell forfeited these same lands around 1342, for residing in England without the King's consent, but they were restored through marriage in the 15th century. The House is said to be haunted by three female ghosts all in different colored attire: green; white; and grey. The site was re-developed in the 1980s to be private apartments after falling into disrepair from the 1950s onwards.

Dellyell Spelling Variations

Dellyell Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Dalyell, Dalyiel, Dalzell, Dalziel, Dallyell, Daleel, Dalliel, Dalzel and many more.

Dellyell Early History

Dellyell Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dellyell research. Another 519 words (37 lines of text) covering the years 1633, 1649, 1835, 1941, 1550, 1636, 1628, 1615, 1685, 1639, 1686, 1689, 1687, 1737, 1689, 1702, 1662, 1715 and are included under the topic Early Dellyell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dellyell Early Notables (pre 1700)

Dellyell Early Notables (pre 1700)

Notable among the family at this time was Robert Dalzell (1550-1636), English 1st Lord Dalzell, created a Lord in 1628, by King Charles I of England; General Tam (Thomas) Dalyell (1615-1685), a Scottish Royalist General in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms; Sir Robert Dalzell, 1st Baronet (1639-1686), a Scottish politician...

Another 55 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dellyell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dellyell In Ireland

Dellyell In Ireland

Some of the Dellyell family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

The Great Migration

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Andrew Dalyell who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1764; George Dalzel settled in New York State in 1846; Jane Dalzel settled with her family in New Castle, Del. in 1789.

The Dellyell Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Dellyell Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.